The Forgejo project released Forgejo Runner v13.1.0 on 31 August 2026, opening its continuous-integration pipeline to freely chosen execution environments. The runner is the component that actually carries out CI jobs for the self-hosted Git platform. Execution used to be hard-wired; this small feature release loosens that coupling considerably.
An experimental plugin engine over gRPC
The centrepiece is an experimental plugin execution engine. Using the gRPC protocol, the runner daemon talks to external applications that act as standalone execution environments. That means jobs can be launched in Firecracker microVMs, Kubernetes pods, QEMU or libvirt VMs, or systemd-nspawn containers, without the core team having to officially maintain each variant. Admins previously limited to Docker or the host now get an open path for community-built extensions.
Cleaner logs, but one breaking change
The second noticeable change: the runner no longer attaches pseudo-terminals to process output. That cuts control characters and clutter from job logs, but it breaks commands expecting an interactive TTY, such as docker run -it. Administrators should review affected workflows before updating.
- Experimental plugin engine for external execution environments (gRPC)
- Removal of pseudo-TTY attachment for cleaner logs
- Preparations for an upcoming Forgejo bug fix
- Routine dependency upgrades
For self-hosters, Forgejo remains an appealing open-source, community-run Git alternative. This update is a small step with long-term reach: because the plugin engine is flagged experimental, teams can test it calmly rather than switching production over at once.
Sources: Forgejo Runner v13.1.0 release · Forgejo releases
